Allegation against CJI: Police detain protesters outside Supreme Court

A day after a three-judge panel gave the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi a clean chit in a sexual misconduct case, protesters pulled up the panel for not following the due process of law.

A letter by several women organizations, lawyers and social rights groups in circulation since Monday morning hinted at an agitation outside the Supreme Court complex to protest the decision by Justices SA Bobde, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee.

By 10.30 am, 40 to 50 protesters gathered outside the complex, despite heavy security and barricading. "Be you ever so high, the law is above you" said one placard, while the other declared: Due process and not Dude Process.

Soon police began to close in to disperse the agitators and Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was imposed, allowing police to detain the protesters.

Fifty-five protesters, mostly women, were detained and taken to Mandir Marg police station. "Three men were among those detained," informed Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Madhur Verma.

Social activist Annie Raja said that proceeding ex-parte and denying the complainant a lawyer violated the due process of law and principles of natural justice. "We are in favour of protecting the judicial system, but when the Supreme Court itself is violating the norms it has set, what value will be left in following them," she retorted, demanding a transparent enquiry.

Though two major bar associations – Supreme Court Bar Association and Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association – demanded for an inquiry into the allegation, the two lawyer bodies are yet to formally issue any statement.